Winding a Skein into a Ball

Lots of yarn comes in the form of a skein, also known as a hank. A skein (or a hank) is a big loop of yarn twisted into a coil. It’s critical to know that before you can knit with yarn that’s in a skein, you have to wind it into a ball, otherwise, it will end up in a very tangled mess!

Why does yarn come in a skein in the first place, you may wonder… Mostly it’s so you can really get to know the yarn before you knit it. In a skein, you can feel the yarn’s drape and softness, its weight and texture. Also, storing yarn in a ball over a long period of time can stretch out its natural fibers, not good! And so, here’s how to transform your skein into a ball…

First, unfold the skein so it is one big loop. Examine where the skein is secured to make sure that everything is tidy and no strands are astray. If you have a buddy who can hold the loop around his or her hands, that’s easiest. If not, try the back of a chair, your bent knees, or even your feet!

Snip the yarn that is holding the skein together, and finding an end, wrap the yarn around your hand a few dozen times. Slip the yarn off your hand, keeping it neatly contained.

Now firmly holding the beginning of the ball, wind the yarn perpendicular to the first wraps. Include your fingers, and wind until your hand feels full.

Slip your fingers out, grab the bundle of yarn, and wind around your fingers again, perpendicular to the last wraps. Continue in this manner until you have a ball!

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4 Responses to Winding a Skein into a Ball

I tried winding a skein of lace weight yarn on my knees. It was challenging. I now have a very difficult task doing it on a chair. I must weave in and out of the tangled yarn. Any suggestions as to how best to unravel the mess created by an amateur? I think that thicker yarns are no problem, but the very thin ones are a special situation. If I buy thin yarn again, I will request that the seller wind it on the winding device in their shop. Caveat emptor!

Hello Ellen,
Thank you for reaching out! You are absolutely correct in you thinking that the thinner the yarn the more of a challenge it is to untangle- we have all been there. It is good that you have it on a now to prevent further tangling. Depending on the level of mess, y advice is to not be afraid to cut your yarn so that you have three or four balls. Especially if it is a feltable yarn as you can wet splice it back together if need be. No matter what this task requires a lot of patience so if you start to get frustrated it is sometimes good to just leave it and come back to it before giving up.
I hope this helps and good luck!
-Marilla

Hello Alice,
Thank you for reaching out! Have you tried just slipping the first stitch? Slipping both the first and last stitch can give you a wonky edge, but if you slip 1 purl-wise through the back loop, you’ll get the selvedge you are looking for.
Happy knitting!
-Marilla

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